Final Project

1. Use chapters 24(28) through 26(30) and the Unit 9 page to find three topics that you would be interested in for an Independent Research Project. Feel free to be creative and think outside of the box. In your notebook, list at least three reasons why you are interested in each topic.
2. Narrow your choice to one topic for research.
3. Record the information you find on your chosen topic in your notebook. You must use a graphic organizer to record your notes.
4. Write a paragraph convincing your anonymous research partner why your topic would be best to use for the IRP. Consider that you and your partner will be conducting further research, producing an iMovie, creating an activity for the class, and presenting on Wednesday, May 30th.
5. This is your last grade for this class, and it is worth 500 points (see below for rubric)!! Take it seriously and produce good work that you can be proud of. Extra credit for any team with a product I will show future classes as an example of excellent work (i.e., nearly flawless quality, impressive use of technology, spellbinding storytelling, fascinating visuals, etc.).

RUBRIC

Classwork (200 points)	Project/Test (200 points)	Notebook (100 points)
Brainstorming (25) Did you record your three topic choices and reasons for your interest in each topic? Textbook Notes (25) Did you record the information on your topic available in your textbook? Did you organize this information into a chart of your choosing? Reliable Websites (25) Did you have 5-6 websites for additional information? Were those websites .gov, .edu, or other approved sources? Did you avoid visiting Wikipedia, About.com, or Answers.com? Team Work (25) Did you and your partner cooperate? Did you and your partner share the work evenly? Use of Class Time (100) Were both members working at all times ("I'm done with my part" = unacceptable)? Was anyone on your team off topic or off task? Was your team distracting others?	Production Quality (50) Does your finished product look professional? Is the finished product polished and cohesive? Are there any mistakes or glitches in the final product? Relevant Audio & Visuals (50) Are all photographs from the appropriate time period? Are all images and music relevant to the narration? Do interviews and reenactments contribute to or take away from the quality? Storytelling (50) Did your story follow an order that makes sense, or does it skip around in a confusing way? Did your story follow the historical course of events? Did you capture the drama and excitement of the times? Audience Questions (50) Was the audience interested enough to ask questions at the end? Were you able to answer those questions based on your research?	Storyboarding (50) Did your team map out segments of your movie before producing them? Did your team record these storyboards in a notebook? Script Writing (50) Did your team write out the script for each segment before producing it? Did your team record these scripts in a notebook?

Opening & closing credits (Special Thanks for sources)
5 minutes original work plus clips and video